On the words of the Gospel, Luke xii. 35, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and be ye yourselves like,” etc. And on the words of the 34th Psalm, v. 12, “what man is he that desireth life,” etc.

1. Our Lord Jesus Christ both came to men, and went away from men, and is to come to men. And yet He was here when He came, nor
did He depart when He went away, and He is to come to them to whom He said, “Lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the world.”34173417Matt. xxviii. 20. According to the “form of a servant” then, which He took for our sakes, was He born at a certain time, and was slain, and
rose again, and now “dieth no more, neither shall death have any more dominion over Him;”34183418Rom. vi. 9. but according to His Divinity, wherein He was equal to the Father, was He already in this world, and “the world was made
by Him, and the world knew Him not.”34193419John i. 10. On this point ye have just heard the Gospel, what admonition it has given us, putting us on our guard, and wishing us to
be unencumbered and prepared to await the end; that after these last34203420 The troubles through the incursions of the barbarian tribes, as heralds of the end. See St. Cyprian, Ad Demetr. 2, p. 201, Oxf. tr.; De Mort. v. 2, p. 216, 7. things, which are to be feared in this world, that rest may succeed which hath no end. Blessed are they who shall be partakers
of it. For then shall they be in security, who are not in security now; and again then shall they fear, who will not fear
now. Unto this waiting, and for this hope’s sake, have we been made Christians. Is not our hope not of this world? Let us
then not love the world. From the love of this world have we been called away, that we may hope for and love
another. In this world ought we to abstain from all unlawful desires, to have, that is, “our loins girded;” and to be
fervent and to shine in good works, that is, to have “our lights burning.” For the Lord Himself said to His disciples in another
place of the Gospel, “No man lighteth a candle and putteth it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that it may give light
unto all that are in the house.”34213421Matt. v. 15. And to show of what He was speaking, He subjoined and said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”34223422Matt. v. 16.

2. Therefore He would that “our loins should be girded, and our lights burning.”34233423Luke xii. 35. What is, “our loins girded”? “Depart from evil.”34243424Ps. xxxiv. 14. What is to “burn”? What is to have our “lights burning”? It is this, “And do good.” What is that which He said afterwards,
“And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding:”34253425Luke xii. 36. except that which follows in that Psalm, “Seek after peace, and ensue it”?34263426Ps. xxxiv. 14. These three things, that is, “abstaining from evil, and doing good,” and the hope of everlasting reward, are recorded in
the Acts of the Apostles, where it is written, that Paul taught them of “temperance and righteousness,”34273427Acts xxiv. 25. and the hope of eternal life. To temperance belongs, “let your loins be girded.” To righteousness, “and your lights burning.”
To the hope of eternal life, the waiting for the Lord. So then, “depart from evil,” this is temperance, these are the loins
girded: “and do good,” this is righteousness, these are the “lights burning;” “seek peace, and ensue it,” this is the waiting
for the world to come: therefore, “Be ye like unto men that wait for their
Lord, when He will come from the wedding.”

3. Having then these precepts and promises, why seek we on earth for “good days,” where we cannot find them? For I know that
ye do seek them, when ye are either sick, or in any of the tribulations, which in this world abound. For when life draws towards
its close, the old man is full of complaints, and with no joys. Amid all the tribulations by which mankind is worn away, men
seek for nothing but “good days,” and wish for a long life, which here they cannot have.
For even a man’s long life is narrowed within so short a span to the wide extent of all ages, as if it were but one drop
to the whole sea. What then is man’s life, even that which is called a long one? They call that a long life, which even in
this world’s course is short; and as I have said, groans abound even unto the decrepitude of old age. This at the most is
but brief, and of short duration; and yet how eagerly is it sought by men, with how great diligence, with how great toil,
with
how great carefulness, with how great watchfulness, with how great labour do men seek to live here for a long time, and
to grow old. And yet this very living long, what is it but running to the 441end? Thou hadst yesterday, and thou dost wish also to have to-morrow. But when this day and to-morrow are passed, thou hast
them not. Therefore thou dost wish for the day to break, that that may draw near to thee whither thou hast no wish to come.
Thou makest some annual festival with thy
friends, and hearest it there said to thee by thy well-wishers, “Mayest thou live many years,” thou dost wish that what
they have said, may come to pass. What? Dost thou wish that years and years may come, and the end of these years come not?
Thy wishes are contrary to one another; thou dost wish to walk on, and dost not wish to reach the end.

4. But if, as I have said, there is so great care in men, as to desire with daily, great and perpetual labours, to die somewhat
later: with how great cause ought they to strive, that they may never die? Of this, no one will think. Day by day “good days”
are sought for in this world, where they are not found; yet no one wishes so to live, that he may arrive there where they
are found. Therefore the same Scripture admonishes us, and says, “Who is the man that
wisheth for life, and loveth to see good days?”34283428Ps. xxxiv. 12. Scripture so asked the question, as that It knew well what answer would be given It; knowing that all men would “seek for
life and good days.” In accordance with their desire It asked the question, as if the answer would be given It from the heart
of all, “I wish it;” It said thus, “Who is the man that wisheth for life, and loveth to see good days?” Just as even at this
very hour in which I am speaking to you, when ye heard me say, “Who is the man that wisheth
for life, and loveth to see good days?” ye all answered in your heart, “I.” For so do I too, who am speaking with you,
“wish for life and good days;” what ye seek, that do I seek also.

5. Just as if gold were necessary for us all, and we all, I as well as you, were wishing to get at the gold, and there was
some anywhere in a field of yours, in a place subject to your power, and I were to see you searching for it, and were to say
to you, “What are ye searching for?” ye were to answer me, “Gold.” And I were to say to you, “Ye are searching for gold, and
I am searching for gold too: what ye are searching for, I am searching for; but ye are not
searching for it where we can find it. Listen to me then, where we can find it; I am not taking it away from you, I am
showing you the spot;” yea, let us all follow Him, who knows where what we are seeking for, is. So now too seeing that ye
desire “life and good days,” we cannot say to you, “Do not desire ‘life and good days;’” but this we say, “Do not seek for
‘life and good days’ here in this world, where ‘good days’ cannot be.” Is not this life itself like unto
death? Now these days here hasten and pass away: for to-day has shut out yesterday; tomorrow only rises that it may shut
out to-day. These days themselves have no abiding; wherefore wouldest thou abide with them? Your desire then whereby ye wish
for “life and good days,” I not only do not repress, but I even more strongly inflame. By all means “seek” for “life, seek
for good days;” but let them be sought there, where they can be found.

6. For would ye with me hear His counsel, who knoweth where “good days” and where “life” is? Hear it not from me, but together
with me. For One says to us, “Come, ye children, hearken unto Me.” And let us run together, and stand, and prick up our ears,
and with our hearts understand the Father, who hath said, “Come, ye children, hearken unto Me, I will teach you the fear of
the Lord.”34293429Ps. xxxiv. 11. And then follows what he would teach us, and to what end the fear of the Lord is useful. “Who is the man that wisheth life,
and loveth to see good days?” We all answer, “We wish it.” Let us listen then to what follows, “Refrain thy tongue from evil,
and thy lips that they speak no guile.”34303430Ps. xxxiv. 13. Now say, “I wish it.” Just now when I said, “Who is the man that wisheth for life, and loveth to see good days?” we all answered,
“I.” Come then, let some one now answer “I.” So then, “Refrain thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile.”
Now say, “I.” Wouldest thou then have “good days” and “life,” and wouldest thou not “refrain thy tongue from evil, and thy
lips that they speak no guile”? Alert to the reward, slow to the
work! And to whom if he does not work is the reward rendered? I would that in thy house thou wouldest render the reward
even to him that does work! For to him that works not, I am sure thou dost not render it. And why? Because thou owest nothing
to him that does not work! And God hath a reward proposed. What reward? “Life and good days,” which life we all desire, and
unto which days we all strive to come. The promised reward He will give us. What reward? “Life and good days.” And what
are “good days”? Life without end, rest without labour.

7. Great is the reward He hath set before us: in so great a reward as is set before us, let us see what He hath commanded
us. For enkindled by the reward of so great a promise, and by the love of the reward, let us make ready at once our strength,
our sides, our arms, to do His bidding. Is it as if He were to command us to carry heavy burdens, to dig something it may
be, or to raise up some machine? No, no such 442laborious thing hath He enjoined thee, but hath
enjoined thee only to “refrain” that member which amongst all thy members thou dost move so quickly. “Refrain thy tongue
from evil.” It is no labour to erect a building, and is it a labour to hold in the tongue? “Refrain thy tongue from evil.”
Speak no lie, speak no revilings, speak no slanders, speak no false witnesses, speak no blasphemies. “Refrain thy tongue from
evil.” See how angry thou art, if any one speaks evil of thee. As thou art angry with another, when he speaks
evil of thee; so be thou angry with thyself, when thou speakest evil of another. “Let thy lips speak no guile.” What is
in thine heart within, be that spoken out. Let not thy breast conceal one thing, and thy tongue utter another. “Depart from
evil, and do good.” For how should I say, “Clothe the naked,” to him who up to this time would strip him that is clothed?
For he that oppresses his fellow-citizen, how can he take in the stranger? So then in proper order, first “depart from
evil,” and “do good;” first “gird up thy loins,” and then “light the lamp.” And when thou hast done this, wait in assured
hope for “life and good days.” “Seek peace, and ensue it;” and then with a good face wilt thou say unto the Lord, “I have
done what Thou hast bidden, render me what Thou hast promised.”